86 



NATURE 



[May 28, 1891 



already spoken. Such parts of the rock often abound with 

 cavities (druses), which I believe are not of original but of 

 secondary origin. At all events, it can be shown that these 

 cavities have been localities in which crystal growth has 

 gone on— they constitute indeed veritable laboratories of 

 synthetic mineralogy. 



Now, in such cavities the interpenetrant crystals of 

 quartz and felspar in this rock have found a space where 

 they may grow and complete their outward form ; and 

 it is curious to see how sometimes the quartz has pre- 

 vailed over the felspar and a pure quartz-crystal has been 

 produced ; while at other times the opposite eftect has 

 resulted, and a pure felspar individual has grown up. In 

 these last cases, however much the original felspar may 

 have been altered (kaolinized and rendered opaque), it 

 is found to be completed by a zone of absolutely clear and 

 unaltered felspar-substance. The result is that the cavities 

 of the granite are lined with a series of projecting crystals 

 of fresh quartz and clear felspar, the relations of which to 

 the older materials in an altered condition composing the 

 substance of the solid rock, are worthy of the most careful 

 observation and reflection. 



Those relations can be fully made out when thin sections 

 of the rock are examined under the microscope by the 

 aid of polarized light, and they speak eloquently of the 

 possession by the crystals of all those curious peculiarities 

 of which I have reminded you this evening. 



By problems such as those which we have endeavoured 

 to solve to-night, the geologist is beset at every step. 

 The crust of our globe is built up of crystals and crystal 

 fragments— of crystals in every stage of development, of 

 growth, and of variation — of crystals undergoing change, 

 decay, and dissolution. Hence the study of the natural 

 history of crystals must always constitute one of the main 

 foundations of geological science ; and the future progress 

 of that science must depend on how far the experiments 

 carried on in laboratories can be made to illustrate and 

 explain our observations in the field. 



BRITISH INSTITUTE OF PREVENTIVE 

 MEDICINE. 



A VIGOROUS attempt is being made by ignorant and 

 prejudiced persons to prevent the establishment of 

 a National Hygienic Institute worthy of the United King- 

 dom. A deputation will wait upon Sir Michael Hicks- 

 Beach, President of the Board of Trade, on Friday, 

 June 5, to submit to him an exact statement of the facts 

 relating to the matter. Meanwhile, the Executive Com- 

 mittee has issued the following circular : — 



On Monday afternoon, July i, 1889, a meeting was 

 held at the Mansion House, under the Presidency of Sir 

 James Whitehead, Bart., then Lord Mayor of London, 

 " for the purpose of hearing statements from Sir James 

 Paget, and other representatives of scientific and medical 

 opinion, with regard to the recent increase of rabies in 

 this country, and the efficacy of the treatment discovered 

 by M. Pasteur for the prevention of hydrophobia." 



Although convinced of the advantages likely to accrue 

 to the community at large by the founding of a Bacterio- 

 logical Institute in England, the Committee felt that the 

 time was not then come for establishing in England an 

 institute similar to the " Institut Pasteur" in Paris, or the 

 " Hygienische Institut" in Berlin. The idea, however, was 

 not abandoned, and on December 5, 1889, an Executive 

 Committee was appointed to take measures for the pur- 

 pose of establishing in England a British Institute of 

 Preventive Medicine. 



Acting on the advice of their solicitors, Messrs. Hunters 

 and Haynes, the Executive Committee decided to incor- 

 porate the Institute as a limited liability company, with 

 the omission of the word " Limited," in order to impress 



NO. II 26, VOL. 44] 



the public with the fact that the Institute was not estab- 

 lished for purposes of gain, but for purely charitable and 

 scientific objects. 



The application was lodged at the Board of Trade on 

 February 13, 1 891, and, shortly afterwards, a number of 

 petitions were sent in asking the Board of Trade to with- 

 hold its license, as the objects of the Institute " clearly 

 pointed to experiments on living animals." As Chair- 

 man of the Committee, Sir Joseph Lister then wrote to 

 the President of the Board of Trade, showing why, in the 

 opinion of the Committee, their opponents should not 

 gain their point. In the first place, he pointed out that 

 the granting of a vivisection license is not within the 

 province of the Board of Trade, but under the control of 

 the Secretary of State for the Home Department. In the 

 second place, he clearly proved that it is absolutely 

 necessary that the Institute should be licensed in the 

 manner described, for it could not be registered under 

 the Companies Act, 1862, without most seriously inter- 

 fering with its prospects. From counsel's opinion it is 

 evident that, should the Institute be registered as an 

 ordinary limited liability company under the Act, it would 

 at any time be possible for the members to wind up the 

 company and divide the funds of the Institute ; whereas 

 the Board of Trade, in granting the license asked for, 

 would make it a condition that all the property of the 

 Institute should be applied to the advancement of science 

 and kindred subjects only, and not be distributed among 

 the members. In this way only could security be given 

 that the funds would be applied for the purposes 

 intended. 



This letter was posted by one of the secretaries on 

 May 12, 1 89 1 ; but on the same day the solicitors to the 

 Executive Committee received a letter from the President 

 of the Board of Trade, who, without giving any reason 

 whatever for his decision, declined to grant the applica- 

 tion. On the next day, however, Sir Joseph Lister re- 

 ceived a letter in answer to that posted on May 12, in 

 which the President of the Board of Trade intimated his 

 willingness to receive a deputation on June 5 at 11 a.m. 



Workers in bacteriological science are now labouring 

 under considerable difficulties, as there is no place in the 

 United Kingdom specially fitted for such research. By 

 the establishing of this Institute, they would be placed 

 in the best possible conditions for carrying out original 

 investigations. Moreover, a central Institute for the 

 systematic teaching of bacteriology would be provided, 

 not only for medical men, but also for veterinary surgeons, 

 chemists, agriculturists, &c. 



At present, in spite of the efforts made in this direction 

 by several medical schools, most of the English workers 

 who wish to gain special knowledge in bacteriology, are 

 compelled to go to the Continental laboratories for their 

 instruction. The question, therefore, which the Board 

 of Trade will have to decide is, whether such a state of 

 things should continue, or whether England should have 

 its own national bacteriological Institute. Similar Insti- 

 tutes have been endowed by the State in other countries; 

 and the Board of Trade, by refusing to grant their applica- 

 tion, would prevent a body of private gentlemen from 

 doing what has been done at great expense by the 

 Governments of other nations. 



NOTES. 

 We are informed that Kew has recently acquired by purchase 

 from Mr. F. Curtis, a descendant of William Curtis, the founder 

 of the Botanical Magazine, about 1650 original drawings, chiefly 

 of figures which appeared in that publication. They belong 

 partly to the first series and partly to the second, from 1800 to 

 1826— that is to say, during the period that the magazine was 

 edited by Dr. Sims. Many of these drawings are very beautiful, 

 and very carefully coloured, especially those done by James 



